In this edition of the Vancouver Canucks News & Rumors, the Canucks traded for forward Sam Lafferty. Also, defenceman Carson Soucy is out week-to-week with an undisclosed injury. Additionally, Akito Hirose gets called up and could make the opening night lineup.
Canucks Traded for Lafferty
The Canucks traded a 2024 fifth-round pick to the Toronto Maple Leafs for Lafferty on Sunday. The 28-year-old is coming off a 12-goal and 15-assist season through 70 games with the Maple Leafs and the Chicago Blackhawks. General manager Patrik Allvin said the team added him to make the Canucks a tougher team to play against.
“Sam will add some grit and sandpaper to our lineup,” Allvin said. “We also like the way he skates and can back players off with his speed. He is a good addition to our forward group and has shown he can also use his speed effectively in a penalty-killing role.”
Lafferty will play in the team’s bottom six and adds some scoring depth to the Canucks. Head coach Rick Tocchet said he talked to some of Lafferty’s former coaches and got some good reviews.
“Kind of a heavier, kind of grittier guy, really good skater, can score some goals. It’s a chance to acquire a little bit of a stickier guy. That’s why I think we did it.
“He’s a penalty killer, too. I think him and Teddy (Blueger) PK’d together in Pittsburgh. When a guy’s kind of a bigger guy and grittier and can skate, you got to take a look at guys like that. What did he have, 13-14 goals last year? He can score some goals, which helps us, too.”
Soucy Out Week-to-Week
Soucy left the Canucks final preseason game against the Calgary Flames on Friday due to an undisclosed injury. Tocchet told reporters the blueliner is week-to-week. As a result, Soucy will likely miss Wednesday night’s season opener and maybe more games.
Late in the second period, Soucy got caught along the boards with Flames forward Yegor Sharangovich. As a result, he left the game and was ruled out for the remainder of the game. The injury is a tough start to Soucy’s tenure with the organization. He was the team’s biggest free agent signing this offseason, agreeing to a three-year deal with an average annual value of $3.250 million.
Hirose Gets Opportunity
With Soucy out week to week, a few defencemen will get an opportunity to start the season with the Canucks. Hirose is a notable name, as the organization recalled him from Abbotsford on Sunday while they sent Christian Wolanin down. At practice, Hirose played with Noah Juulsen.
Although Hirose played well near the end of last season, pairing him with Juulsen seems risky, as both players have a limited amount of NHL experience. Meanwhile, the top pairing was Quinn Hughes and Filip Hronek, while Ian Cole and Tyler Myers were on the second pairing. Splitting Hughes and Hronek is the team’s best option to have balanced pairings. Hughes and Juulsen played together earlier in training camp, while Hronek and Hirose could be an effective duo. Nonetheless, Tocchet will have to get creative with Soucy out.
Canucks 2023-24 Season Starts on Oct. 11th in Edmonton
The Canucks season opener is only days away, as the team will take on the Edmonton Oilers in Vancouver on Oct. 11. They will then head to Edmonton to start a five-game road trip. They started last season with a five-game road trip and lost all five games before returning to Vancouver and losing their first two home games. They were unable to recover from their 0-5-2 start for the remainder of the season. The Canucks will need to have a good start to their season if they want a chance to make the postseason.
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